


Love at First Sight

by Kapla_Quail



Category: Starfighter (Comic)
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, EncKeeler are not lovers yet, Hiding Feelings, Keeler's past, M/M, Rating: Moderately Juicy, Slice of Life, according to canon at that point, canon vulgar language, hiding medical conditions, homoerotic tension, internalized ableist language, project thebes, shady plan, spacemom soothes the beast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapla_Quail/pseuds/Kapla_Quail
Summary: The story describes the events from comic pages 03/7-12 with focus on other people and some reminiscences of the time when Keeler and Encke commandeered the Sleipnir during Cook's and Bering's absence.
Relationships: Abel/Cain (Starfighter), Cain/Keeler (Starfighter), Encke/Keeler (Starfighter), Phobos/Porthos (Starfighter), past Keeler/Porthos
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Starfighter is over, guys – but I refuse to accept it. I'm going to publish everything I've got now, all those snippets I still have lying around. Be prepared. 
> 
> For this story, a little background knowledge is needed, because it's based on the assumption that Keeler and Cain knew each other before the events shown in the Starfighter comic. In my backstory I built for them (see my oldest fic, The Evolution of Keeler), Keeler's ex-girlfriend moved to Mars as a development aid worker and thus got to know Anna and her brother Alexei. Although Keeler helped the latter with money, they have never met in person – until now...
> 
> I also assumed that Keeler is completely in on the shady plan and one of the crucial figures in its realization. Unfortunately Hamlet neither confirmed nor denied this.
> 
> And don't be surprised to read hints of Keeler's and Porthos' (= Marek's) semi-canon past love affair here again.
> 
> Names:  
> Marek = Porthos  
> Alyosha/Alexei = Cain  
> Jas = Jasmin (Keeler's ex)  
> Erik = Keeler

Ear-deafening clangor resounded in Landing Bay III when one after another, the long awaited new recruits left the connecting gate and entered the battleship Sleipnir. They were traditionally greeted by the ship’s crew beating tools against the railing and singing the Alliance hymn, or rather shouting something faintly reminiscent of it.

While Lead Navigator Assistant Glarean was lucky to be down there welcoming every pair and assigning them their cabins, Lieutenants Keeler and Encke could only watch from the bridge, equally impatient to get to know the new teams but forced to celebrate the reunion with commanders Cook and Bering.

Nobody had missed the commanders, really. Answering their indignant questions, listening to their boring truisms about 'the innate chief powers' only true leaders possessed – it made Encke and Keeler secretly roll their eyes and fidget with their glasses nervously.

The talk got slightly more interesting when the commanders exchanged the logbooks with their surrogates and showed them the recent scores of the Project Thebes teams. Even though Cook had made a big secret about the pairings before his return, now everything seemed to be definite and reassignments weren't an issue any more. However, when Cook spouted forth about a navigator called Abel and his 'promising development' with a certain fighter named Cain, Keeler exchanged today's second horrified look with his partner.

The first had been shared between the Leading Team earlier, when much to Keeler’s surprise Leonin, Cook’s assistant, had run towards him and hugged him ardently. Not only that, the man had almost started to cry when he beheld the Lead Navigator, completely losing his usual standoffish air, so Encke had concluded the man must be ill.

"Lieutenant Keeler!“, Leonin had exclaimed, looking as ecstatic as if he’d seen Mother herself. "I’m SO happy to see you again. You can’t believe what a horrible three months we had on the space station, it was the worst time of my life! The new fighters are wild animals, rutting curs really, no one’s safe from them!“ Here he had hugged Keeler so tight as if he were the saving anchor in person.

Keeler had chuckled in disbelief, trying to disentangle himself from Leonin’s arms under Encke’s amused regard. "But Leonin, how come you had so much to do with the fighters? Wasn’t your place in Cook’s office?“

"Cook’s office?“ Leonin had snorted. "Ha! There's other folks going in and out there now, and Cook has changed so much, you won’t recognize him any more. He started acting so weird and really lost all his inhibitions – how can this even be possible? He behaves like his mods were flawed!“

Just in this moment when Keeler and Encke froze in horror, the subject of their discussion and his fighter had regally entered the bridge, carrying a bottle of champagne to clink glasses with the Leading Team.

And this was what they were still doing now, much to Keeler’s sorrow. He desperately searched for a way to get rid of his drink unnoticed while Cook talked his ears off about Abel's engine project and Leonin fidgeted in discomfort. Keeler could have pinched Encke who, although engaged in talk with Bering, was mightily amused at Keeler’s embarrassment.

Secretly, the Lead Navigator looked down to the Landing Bay again and again, wishing to be able to spot Cain and Abel, Porthos and his partner Athos. Thank Mother, he was to present himself to the recruits soon enough and conduct the guided tour through the ship as well as the fire drill right after lunch.

At the same time, Encke was expected to integrate the new fighters into the Sleipnir’s squad, a fate harder than Daniel’s in the lion’s den. Letting his gaze wander towards him, Keeler sadly presumed he wouldn’t get to see much of his partner tonight after crew lights out.


	2. Chapter 2

Looking down from the stage on the new navigators standing at attention, Keeler felt something like déjà-vu. The same smell of fright, the same stiff frames and terrified deer’s eyes – he had no idea what Cook had done with these boys on the station, but doubtlessly Keeler would have to start building confidence with them anew just like he had done a year ago with the Sleipnir’s crew.

"My dear new navigators“, he said cordially while Cook watched the scenery with unreadable, forbidding countenance. "On behalf of the whole crew, I welcome you warmly to our battleship, the Sleipnir. My name is Lieutenant Keeler. I am your Lead Navigator and your contact person for all matters, be they official or personal. Whenever there’s something you want to talk about, you can come to me first. We will be together most of the day, anyway. We’ll work in the labs together, I’ll teach you machine dynamics and kinematics, I'll oversee you equip the ships, train in the simulators and fly maneuvers. In short: I’ll take care of you just like Commander Cook did on the station.“

Well, he'd obviously failed at that, Keeler thought, but the Lead Navigator wanted to appease Cook by including him in his talk, so he smiled at him. Cook, however, stayed inapproachable.

Keeler went on, "By the way, I have to apologize for the incommodity of your cabins. I can imagine how shocked you were when you saw them, how inappropriate you thought them for highly trained navigators like yourselves. But believe me, we here on the Sleipnir did our best to make room for you and we all did budge up quite a bit. The Sleipnir is pretty much at its occupancy rate now and there’s not much I can do about it - as I’m sure you’ll understand.“ He smiled broadly, and this didn’t fail to have an impact on the boys.

"I’ll show you everything in a minute when westart our guided tour around the ship. Until then, let me tell you again how happy we all are to have you here with your talents and knowledge. You’re our much needed reinforcements and you can be proud to be part of this mission! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Dismissed.“

When descending from the stage and calling the navigators close for the guided tour, Keeler finally perceived Marek amidst the white flock. He was the tallest of the recruits with his fighter-like build, handsome as ever even with his new, unbecoming mohawkhaircut and his bewildering glance full of pride and greed.

Keeler barely avoided blushing and letting his eyes linger for too long. He was glad his commandeered language and programming adepts emerged from the crowd, too, and distracted him before he gave himself away.

"So you are the navigators Ethos and Abel?“, Keeler asked the little curly-head and the colonial-eyed young man. The two boys blushed and squirmed, choked with fear as if they were standing in front of the Colteron queen.

"No need to be shy, boys, you two are going to be my right hand men!“ And Keeler gave them an encouraging smile while Marek and his new companion passed by very slowly, very closely behind him.

“C’est elle, ta nana?“, the latter hissed.

“Just shut up, Phobos“, was the answer.

Keeler, however, pretended not to notice. "Ethos, you’ll have your own little office next to the lab. We’re way behind schedule with decoding Colteron messages, so you can make your dream come true now and translate from morning till evening.“

Ethos’s stupefied expression made Keeler laugh. “Just joking! Of course you’ll have a break from time to time. But you know, nobody on the Sleipnir knows more than a few nuggets of Colteron language - unlike you, of whom I heard you can even speak it! We have a big backlog of transmissions. So you simply start with the most recent ones and then work back through the heap.“

Ethos nodded diligently, blushing at the praise.

Keeler’s eyes now searched the fascinating dark ones of Alyosha’s partner. “Abel,” - the taller boy jerked when Keeler’s lips softly formed his task name - “tomorrow morning I’ll introduce you to the engine project you’ll be working on with me. Are you okay with that?“

He paused for a second as Abel nodded. The boy really was beautiful, looking so innocent and at the same time so...willing? No. Keeler forced himself to suppress such unprofessional thoughts. Being partnered with Alyosha surely gave this boy a really hard time. Speaking of which...

“By the way, boys – do you all get along with your fighters?“ And he tried to make eye contact with all surrounding navigators.

What he got in return were abashed, downcast eyes, twisted hands, bitten lips and strangled sighs. Also, Keeler noticed only now that Abel had a fresh scar on his mouth he didn’t remember seeing on his roster photo. Not that it disfigured the boy - it gave his pampered looks a very attractive, gangland cast. Keeler had seen this kind of scar before - and that told him more than he wanted to know.


	3. Chapter 3

The Lead Navigator didn’t expect to spend the evening of this busy day in the Med Bay of all places, but this was right where he ended. It had nothing to do, though, with the passed first aid briefing in which Keeler had been 'resuscitated' by Puck to show the recruits how it had to be done (and to get at least some minutes of rest on the floor, cleverly contrived by Puck to prevent him from fainting on this exhausting day).

The evening had started to go in a strange direction when Keeler and his new fosterlings had gathered in the mess hall after a fire drill. Having some tea together, getting to know each other – Keeler had planned this as a first step to create a cheerful atmosphere among the team.

He was just drawing out the frightened deer one by one, trying to ignore Marek’s constant stare and the contempt of his french companion, when suddenly Cook was standing behind them, tall and grim and totally unexpected at this place and hour.

“Lieutenant Keeler. May I remind you that there’s a fighters' and a navigators’ side in this hall?“

Keeler startled and jumped to attention hastily as did the whole crew with him. Having enjoyed three months of open seating, he had seen no problem in choosing some random places in an otherwise empty hall. Now he cast his eyes down and blushed at the sudden reprimand.

“I’m very sorry, sir. Of course we’ll switch to the navigators‘ side immediately.”

Keeler understood that Cook wanted to reestablish his power as Keeler’s superior after the period of separation. He even agreed that the most effective way of doing so was in front of the new recruits, but nevertheless he felt wrongfully humiliated. He could only hope his submissiveness would satisfy the commander.

But to his complete astonishment, the opposite seemed to be the case. “I don’t like what you’re doing here in general, Lieutenant. Those navigators should be in their cabins now, preparing their tasks for tomorrow and getting ready for duty - not playing drinking games with a superior. We’re not on school trip here, Lieutenant!”

Keeler inhaled. "But sir, we were not...“ He bit his lip, stifling his phrase. There was no sense in arguing, he was only second again and had been shown his place. So, professionally, he hid his mortification and started smiling cheerily as always when he answered:

“Of course, sir. Boys, the commander is right, you absolutely should be able now to arrange your data for tomorrow and have some rest in your cabins. I apologize for keeping you unreasonably long. Have a good first night on the Sleipnir, boys, you are dismissed.”

As the French navigator jumped up first to follow Cook out of the hall and the other recruits straggled after them bewilderedly, Keeler stood there puzzled and alone in the mess hall for some moments. Then he shrugged and decided to use this unexpected spare time to check up on the Xanadu.

There was always something to be improved on his baby. He could run another emergency simulation, check the petrol tubing or find out if she still made those strange noises when the ventilation went on...

But just when he arrived in the hangar bay, a message showed up on his datapad – a message from Artemis, what was unusual enough to make Keeler's heart miss a beat. Again.

“Sir, you might want to check the Med Bay”, was all it said. That could mean only one thing: Something had happened to Encke!

Keeler turned on his heel and ran as fast as his feeble body could manage to the place he normally shunned like a plague house. His heart beat like a drum.

Steering clear of the big whole-body scanner for blood count, heart rate and Mother knew what health parameters Keeler didn’t want anybody to know, the Lieutenant almost crashed into Alyosha sitting next to the wall, holding up badly bruised hands and getting bandaged around his waist by a frustrated MO, Artemis standing sentinel over the procedure.

Alyosha! Keeler was confused for a moment. He looked into the boy's devious eyes, saw his obnoxious grin for the first time in real life and felt so familiar with this rascal he forcefully had to tear his glance away.

“Artemis, where’s Lieutenant Encke?“, he asked the sergeant desperately, fighting for breath after his run.

“Lieutenant Keeler, sir, Lieutenant Encke told me to notify you. There’s been a fight between the old and the new recruits... And this one here made the fur fly.” He grabbed Aljosha by the fancy black and blue hair and yanked his head back brutally, making the man grunt. “How can anyone be stupid enough to attack the Lead Fighter?”

Keeler went pale. “Sergeant, please restrain yourself!” He had to support himself on the wall. “Encke was attacked...?“

“Yes, but the Lieutenant is all right, sir“, Artemis explained. “He’s already back settling affairs down at our decks and told me to stay up here to babysit the hurt fighters.”

At least that, Keeler thought. At least that. He could directly have kept Encke company had he found him here hurt and in pain.

The MO, almost hidden behind Cain, spoke up. “I’m done here. Show me your hands, fighter.”

Getting up, however, the man's glance briefly fell on Keeler. “Sir, you’re looking very pale, is there anything I can do for you, first?”

Keeler startled and decided to ignore the question. “Officer, how much time do you need for his hands? I’d like to talk to this fighter in private, as he’s the partner of my new assistant.”

Cain beamed triumphantly, much to Keeler's displeasure. The MO raised an eyebrow and gave Artemis a questioning look, but thankfully the sergeant just nodded like it was the most normal thing for a Lead Navigator to haul a fighter over the coals.

Keeler was incredibly relieved. After few more moments, Cain’s hands were wrapped in bandages and Artemis roughly pushed him into the hall after Keeler, warning the Lieutenant to take care.


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as the door of an empty surgery room closed behind them, Cain’s attitude changed.

“Heh, Erik, you little pansy”, he exclaimed, grinning, “Space is small, isn’t it?”

Keeler couldn’t restrain himself and flung his arms around Alyosha’s neck so stormily the other man couldn’t even growl in time. He hadn't much time to be shocked, either, because the Lieutenant let go of him very quickly and looked up into his eyes with affection.

“Alyosha!”, he exclaimed. “Alyosha, you're here, finally! You did it! I'm so glad!”

Keeler was always physically affectionate, maybe too much so, but this was just the way he was. And after all he had done for Alyosha, after the money he had paid for his food and education Keeler was determined to include this boy into his family and his heart, even though the other man was still a stranger to him.

Cain's second of disturbance seemed to give way to distraction rather quickly and the fighter laughed, condescendingly: “Heh, did they let you out of the kitchen to play welcoming committee for me?”

Keeler didn't understand, but his concern for Encke took over, anyway. <<What happened, Alyosha?>>, he asked in Colonial Russian, worry all over his face. <<What did you do to Lieutenant Encke?>>

Cain, apparently unpleasantly surprised by Keeler's fluent knowledge of his native tongue, snorted and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. <<Fuck, what did I do? Ask that asshole of a Lead Fighter>>, he spat. <<I was only making friends with his troop when that fucker snapped and ripped me a second asshole.>>

Keeler opened his mouth but his sigh died somewhere on its way. <<No! Alexei, no. Encke would never hurt somebody without a very serious reason!>>

<<Tch!>>, Cain exclaimed, taking a step towards Keeler, towering over him in a way that made the smaller man fear mistreatment himself. The fighter even dared to put his bandaged hands on Keeler's chest and push him back a little, like a cat playing with its prey. Then, however, he paused and twisted Keeler's braid around his hampered fingers, thus irritating the Lieutenant entirely.

Alyosha exposed his teeth in a nasty grin. <<Fuck, really?>>, he sighed. <<You actually let him fuck you?>> He laughed bitterly. << Can't believe command's order to fuck also holds true for you officers!>>

Keeler was taken aback by the fact that Cain spoke so openly about a top-secret matter – and about Keeler's most secret wishes at the same time, which he'd never utter in such a way himself. He had to grasp his breast forcefully to stop his heart from racing, his breath from halting. Cain's smell and his physical proximity were suddenly too much for him, and he knew he would faint soon if he didn't do something about it.

The fighter, however, simply talked on: <<I should have known a pansy like you could never be as straight as poor Jas wanted everyone to believe. Just look at your hair! But don’t worry, chick. I’ll handle this for you.>> He rose his hand and brushed Keeler's cheek with the coarse bandage.

That did it. Keeler's sight went black. He clinched his hands into Cain's open fighter jacket to keep himself from falling, leaning against the other man against his will, just to stay on his feet. Cain was baffled and simply stood there, not properly hugging him, but also not backing off.

Keeler struggled for words. <<Alyosha, please - I mean, no!>>, he panted.

<<What the hell, Erik? Calm down. I’ll free you from him. I’ll beat him up and then you’ll get reassigned…>>

An exasperated sigh escaped Keeler’s breast while he still clung to Cain whose hurt arms had wrapped around him in the meantime. <<Alyosha, I... don’t want to get reassigned!>>

He turned his head up and tried to look Alyosha in the eyes pleadingly. Miraculously, his seizure seemed to pass, because he could distinguish their bottomless blackness again now. He was even capable of analyzing his current situation, strange as it was, the feeling of being in another man's arms, faces close enough to kiss.

<<Alyosha, look>>, the Lieutenant whispered. <<Encke is... my partner, for a long time now, and... Jasmin knows that I...>> He gulped and blushed. <<I love him, Alyosha>>, he then managed.

It felt crazy and too intimate to pronounce those words, tell them to this ferocious stranger that had just hurt Encke with those very hands that held Keeler's back right now. But his words were the truth and Alyosha wasn’t a stranger at all, was he?

Cain shook his head slowly and chuckled. <<Holy fucking shit. Jas kept telling me how sick you are, how you keep endangering your life up here - yet you’re fit enough to spread your legs for that asshole? Shit, maybe if command knew, they ...>>

Command? Was...was Alyosha really threatening him? Ha, and what would he even want to report? Nobody was spreading his legs here, and that was probably the worst part of it.

The fury rising in Keeler’s guts made him clench his fists into Cain's jacket more forcefully again. He tried to retrieve his officer's tone. <<Listen, Alexei. If you ever, ever mention something about my health to anyone, there will be consequences. There will be nothing I can do for you any more up here on the Sleipnir or elsewhere. Do you understand? You know that this is your last chance to start an honourable life. They surely won’t equip you with another navigator, either!>>

Now Cain visibly snapped. <<Fuck, I swear, if you get between me and Abel...>>

So they _were_ involved. The project worked already and the scar was proof of it.

As Cain pushed Keeler in the middle of the room again now, his face twisted into an ugly grimace of hate. Keeler was scared, but grabbed his hands nevertheless. Alyosha was still so young, he behaved like the kid he still was - and everybody knew it was always the most aggressive kids that secretly yearned most for love.

So Keeler's parenting instincts kicked in. <<No, Alyosha, no! I don’t want to blackmail anyone>>, he soothed, letting his experience lead his actions even during his actual panic. <<Especially not you. We know so much about each other, don't we? We're a family! We have to make it back home to the colonies, for Anna and Olga and Jas, too. They rely on us! We have to get out of here together, you and me! >>

With this, Keeler overstepped the threatening wall Alyosha was building around him and caressed his brown, muscled arm. And strangely, his tactic didn’t fail to work. Alyosha didn't slap his hand away - to the contrary, his shoulders sagged visibly when Keeler hugged him again now.

<<I trust you>>, Keeler spoke against Cain's chest, and to his own surprise he had to acknowledge that this even was the truth. << And you can trust me.>>

For a moment, he held Alyosha close, breathing in his crude, foreign scent and enjoying being the soft, calm counterpart to his strength and belligerence. It felt good. It felt right, too. But eventually, Keeler had to tear himself away.

<<I have to hurry, Alyosha. They'll wonder what I have to talk about with you for so long...>>

Keeler smiled sadly. <<I would love to offer you my help whenever you need me. But we can not be seen together, you as a fighter and me as the LN. You also can't message me, because all messages you write are inspected. What you maybe can do, however, is ask Abel to deliver your messages to me, if you're comfortable with revealing that we two know each other...>>Keeler's face twisted in despair.

Cain, however, grinned, dripping with overconfidence again. <<Don't worry, Lead Navigator>>, he said. <<I don't need your help. You worry about your stallion and keep that brute on a tighter rein, that'll be enough for me. And as for messages>>, he laughed smugly, <<I've got a little mouse that finds every loophole.>>

**Author's Note:**

> Once more a big 'thank you' to on_the_wing for betaing and little by little teaching me how to write. ;-)


End file.
